Some help, please.. MBK enthusiasts ?!

[EllenH]

Hello fellow bike-riders. I found this bike in the garage from a friends dad, who past away recently. I see that’s it a MBK Mirage.. I think sport edition.. but if someone could help me with the year it was produced.. I see the gear is Shimano, so I think original but how many gears are there?!
How much can he ask if he would sell it, as it is... thank you!!

 

[Drago]

At a guess around 1988-89. Get the 2 charchter Shimano date code off the rear of the cranks and that'll give you a better idea.

Moderately decent frame, the next rung up from gas pipe (just), uninspiring if perfectly useable running gear. Probably a decent enough machine to ride although the plain gauge frame isn't anything special I'm afraid, the 'inexternal' bit refers to some internal lug arrangement they used which (if memory serves) made it more suited to being machine brazed.

Cleaned, serviced and and in good running order somewhere around the £125-150 mark with the all important to the right buyer caveat. Someone just looking for a tidy old bike for general use would probably be reluctant to stump beyond £100ish. I'm afraid the small frame size will seriously reduce the potential market.

 

[biggs682]

Welcome @EllenH
Nice find keep looking and if you find a 23" sized frame give me a shout please.

 

[Dogtrousers]

how many gears are there?!

Looks like 10. Count the sprockets ("cogs") on the rear wheel which I think is 5 and multiply by the number of chainrings (2)

 

[rogerzilla]

A certain pro team that was paid to ride them joked that the initials stood for "Made By Klingons".

Edit: It was a quote from the cyclist formerly known as Robert Millar, so it must have been Fagor-MBK in the late 80s.

 

[EllenH]

Looks like 10. Count the sprockets ("cogs") on the rear wheel which I think is 5 and multiply by the number of chainrings (2)

Thank you!

 

[EllenH]

At a guess around 1988-89. Get the 2 charchter Shimano date code off the rear of the cranks and that'll give you a better idea.

Moderately decent frame, the next rung up from gas pipe (just), uninspiring if perfectly useable running gear. Probably a decent enough machine to ride although the plain gauge frame isn't anything special I'm afraid, the 'inexternal' bit refers to some internal lug arrangement they used which (if memory serves) made it more suited to being machine brazed.

Cleaned, serviced and and in good running order somewhere around the £125-150 mark with the all important to the right buyer caveat. Someone just looking for a tidy old bike for general use would probably be reluctant to stump beyond £100ish. I'm afraid the small frame size will seriously reduce the potential market.

Thank you very much!!